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Blue Ridge Parkway landslide repair moving quickly

ASHEVILLE Just in time to catch the last gasps of fall color, repair work on a Blue Ridge Parkway road washout is proceeding faster than originally expected, and could reopen to the public as early as midday Oct.

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ASHEVILLE - Just in time to catch the last gasps of fall color, repair work on a Blue Ridge Parkway road washout is proceeding faster than originally expected, and could reopen to the public as early as midday Oct. 28, said parkway spokeswoman Leesa Brandon.

A 3-foot-wide, 2.5-foot deep section of the parkway washed away during the heavy rains Oct. 23 that dropped some 4-6 inches of rain in about eight hours. The washout is at Milepost 407 at the Little Pisgah Ridge Tunnel.

The parkway has been closed from Milepost 402.7, about 9 miles south of the N.C. 191/Brevard Road access (about 13 miles south of Asheville’s U.S. 25 parkway entrance), and Milepost 408.8.

This is the main access for drivers heading south from Asheville to the Mount Pisgah Inn and Restaurant, the Mount Pisgah Campground and hiking trails in the Mount Pisgah and Graveyard Fields areas.

The Pisgah Inn and campground at Milepost 408.8 are accessible via U.S. 276, which crosses the parkway at Milepost 411.8. The campground closes Oct. 30 and the Pisgah Inn closes Oct. 31 for the season.

Until repaired, this is a hazardous area and is closed to all traffic, including cyclists and hikers, Brandon said. Visitors behind closed gates will be asked to turn around.

The section of roadway where the slide occurred Monday was built between 1961-1965, Brandon said.